For me, Palestrina’s music is like a balm for the senses and the soul. Regardless of whether I’m singing, playing or conducting, a few clean chords or an intensely shaped line can touch me, sweep me away and bring me a unique form of happiness. I’m always impressed by the ingenious combination of tonal beauty, spiritual depth and musical/textual clarity in his work.
Some choral works are not long enough for a full concert on their own, but they invite pairings with other compositions and they can be ideal for rounding off a concert program. We present our Carus suggestions for your repertoire.
A work of timeless beauty: We interviewed editor Andreas Gies, who introduces us to the world of Mascagni’s Messa di Gloria and reveals why it deserves our full attention.
Denis Rouger explains why Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem is exceptional in more ways than one.
Marcus Creed explores Haydn’s inventive genius in Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons): full of élan, humour and colour.
Hans-Christoph Rademann explains what he finds so fascinating in Schütz’s Psalms of David and why the music particularly suitable for an intensive exploration of the psalm texts.
Masaaki Suzuki reflects on how the sweetness and tenderness of Buxtehude’s Membre Jesu nosti comes close to Romanticism in the 17th century.
Simon Carrington examines how Joseph Haydn brings to life texts from Genesis, Psalms and Milton’s Paradise Lost in his inspired oratorio, The Creation.
Anne Kohler explores what makes Franz Schubert’s Mass in A flat major so unusual and surprising in the CARUS Highlights blog.
Ton Koopman describes his personal experiences of performing Handel’s groundbreaking and richly expressive “Messiah” in CARUS Highlights.
(c) Arne Morgner, Oelsnitz/Vogtland, Germany
(c) Heinz Bunse - https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffo400/33658694355 cc by-sa-2.0
(c) Martin Förster